I spent most of my working life as a journalist and then as a public relations consultant. I worked for United Press International, the wire service, for around 15 years.
We had great photographers at UPI, but I was a writer, not a shooter. Even so, I watched how they did their jobs, and I was always interested in seeing what they would come back with after a photo assignment.
Without really meaning to, I soaked up a lot of stuff from them. I liked how they got right up on their subjects. They were very direct visually, just as I was very direct as a reporter and writer. So I think those UPI shooters had a big influence on me, even though I didn't realize it at the time.
